Bon Bons and Basketball
by iloveromance
Summary: When Niles goes to pick up Daphne at the spa, she can't wait to show him her slimmed down figure. But to her dismay, his unexpected fame takes center court. Spoilers for "Hooping Cranes" and "Daphne Returns"
1. Chapter 1

"Are you nervous?"

Daphne smiled at Norene, the roommate she'd been living with at the Cascade Falls Spa for the past six weeks.

And now, over sixty pounds lighter, she was finally going home.

"Just a bit. It's like a dream come true." Daphne answered, grinning like a schoolgirl. "I can hardly believe that my time here is almost over."

Norene stood back, admiring Daphne's slim figure. "Well, Niles isn't going to know what hit him. You look absolutely gorgeous!"

Daphne laughed. "He always says I look beautiful no matter what I look like and that he'd love me whatever size I was."

"That's sweet." Norene said. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, noticing that Daphne's expression had changed to one of sadness.

"That day in the living room... I fell down and hurt me ankle and it took Niles, Dr. Crane and Mr. Crane to lift me. I was so humiliated!"

Norene smiled. "Well, all that's behind you now. You're thin, beautiful and you're in love!"

"I couldn't have done it without you!" Daphne said, hugging her friend.

"Don't thank me, Daphne! You did all the work, and any minute now Niles is going to walk through that door, take you in his arms and give you a kiss you'll never forget." Norene said excitedly.

Daphne's heart warmed just thinking about that possibility. She'd seen Niles just over a week ago but she loved him so much that even a minute away from him seemed like a lifetime.

"Look at me, takin all these compliments when I haven't even mentioned how wonderful you look!" Daphne said.

Norene pulled her friend into a hug. "Thanks, Daph. Well I guess I'd better go. Mom's picking me up and then we're driving to Cannon Beach to see Fred and the kids. He thinks I've been staying with my mother all this time!"

"He'll certainly be surprised!" Daphne said.

"He sure will. The kids, too! I haven't been this weight since we got married! And three kids later, here I am!"

Norene looked in the mirror at her new figure. "I can' hardly believe it's me. When I first came here I was as big as a house."

"And now look at you." Daphne said. "Why I bet Fred will fall in love with you all over again!"

Norene couldn't help but hug Daphne again. "I can tell that you and Niles have spent a lot of time together."

"Really, why?"

"Because you always know the right things to say." Norene said.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you so much." Daphne said, hugging Norene once more. "Are you sure you don't want to stay and meet Niles?"

"I'd love to, but I don't want to keep Mom waiting."

Daphne felt a tinge of disappointment. "All right."

"Oh, Daphne I'm sorry. But Mom will kill me if I'm not ready when she gets here. I promise I'll meet Niles eventually. Maybe at your wedding!"

Daphne blushed. "Norene, he hasn't even asked me yet! And he's probably not even considerin' it, but thank you."

"Oh believe me if he loves you like you say he does, he'll be asking you before you know it!" Norene said. "And I expect to be the first person you call when he does! Any man who loves a woman for seven years without telling her. Wow! It makes my heart flutter just thinking about it!"

There was a knock on the door and then it opened.

"Norene? Your mother is here."

"Thank you, Brenda." Norene said. She turned to Daphne and smiled. "Well, I guess this is it. I love you, Daphne. You've become such a good friend and I don't know what I would have done without you."

"I love you too, Norene although I don't know exactly what it was that I did." Daphne said.

"More than you realize." Norene said, hugging Daphne fiercely before reluctantly stepping back.

Tearfully Daphne waved to her friend as Noreen picked up her bags and walked to the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Alone in her room, Daphne looked around, remembering the long talks and laughs she'd shared with Norene. It was like being back in college.

Of course college wasn't anywhere near this luxurious.

Her living quarters were equivalent to a room at a five star hotel, and the University of Manchester certainly didn't have an enormous lap pool, or a caring and supportive therapist like Gloria. Nor did they have healthy and delicious gourmet meals; far from it.

Just two months ago, she had no idea how she would ever get through this food addiction. She didn't even realize that she had problem, until it was too late.

Thank goodness for Dr. Crane. She knew she'd never be able to repay him for sending her here.

Oh, she'd thanked him profusely each time he called to check on her, and he'd always responded the same way;

"_Daphne, the fact that you've made Niles the happiest man in the world is more than enough gratitude." _

Even now, the kind words brought tears to her eyes.

She missed Niles terribly, but it wouldn't be long now.

As if by fate, she heard the unmistakable sound of a car pulling into the parking lot down below.  
>Her heart racing, she ran to the window and looked out, smiling when she realized that it wasn't Niles' silver Mercedes, but a bloody pickup truck! Boy she felt sorry for the woman who had to ride home in that thing!<p>

Dismayed she went back to her bed and sat down, feeling more nervous than ever. She felt like a teenager about to go on her first date.

To pass the time, she opened her suitcase and checked for what had to be the hundredth time to make sure she had everything packed. When she saw the framed picture of Niles, she slid it out from under the piles of new clothes-clothes that she never dreamed she'd be able to wear. She stared at Niles' picture and smiled. He was so incredibly handsome.

When she'd first arrived here, it seemed to be the only thing that kept her sane; knowing that he was counting on her. It was a great motivator, because although she loved the fact that he said he would love her no matter what, she wanted so much to feel beautiful for him; and to like herself again.

Norene was right. Niles would be absolutely stunned when he saw her. Not that she looked that bad before. In fact, she thought she looked pretty good!

But now she had control of her eating habits and was determined not to fall victim to junk food ever again. The only thing those foods did was cause trouble, according to Gloria.

The woman was a godsend! She was sympathetic, sweet, kind and determined to help Daphne through what Daphne felt was a traumatic ordeal.

Gloria showed her how to work through her problems without overeating; something Daphne never dreamed she'd be able to conquer.

Niles was bound to be proud of her, and Heaven knows she was proud of him.

At that moment, time seemed to be moving much too slowly.

But she knew Niles would be here any minute, and she could hardly wait to be in the arms of the man she loved.


	3. Chapter 3

Niles walked into the Cascade Falls Spa with a sense of pride. Not only was he going to finally take the woman of his dreams home, but he couldn't wait to tell her about his unexpected fame. He just knew she'd be proud of him.

God knows he was proud of her.

He tried not to think of how unhappy she'd been mere weeks ago, struggling to lose the weight she'd gained. No matter how many times he told her that she was beautiful and that he loved her with his whole heart, the sadness was still there.

It was Frasier's idea to send her to the spa and Niles was most grateful.

But he'd meant what he'd said; He would love Daphne no matter how much she weighed. He'd love her forever, in fact.

With a smile on his face, he walked up to the receptionist desk.

"Hi! How can I help you?" the cheerful woman asked.

"Yes, I'm here to pick up Daphne Moon. I'm Dr. Niles-."

The woman's eyes widened. "_Niles Crane_?"

"Why yes, but I find it hard to believe that you recognized me so quickly. I haven't been here in quite a while and-."

"Oh my God! I can't believe it! Donna, you'll never believe it!" Brenda screamed.

"What?" Donna asked, instantly appearing at Brenda's side. "What's gotten you so worked up?"

"Look!" Brenda said, pointing to Niles.

Donna's jaw dropped. "You're Niles Crane!"

Niles blushed. "Well, yes and thank you for showing interest in my work. It's rare that people actually recognize psychiatrists but when they do-."

"Work _shmirk_!" Brenda said. "We saw you on TV the other night! At the Sonics-Lakers game! When they called your name and you made that basket? Why we just couldn't believe it!"

"Oh, well... Thank you but it was pure luck, believe me."

"No way! You're a natural on the basketball court!" Donna said. "They should hire you to be their center! The one they have now is awful!"

Brenda rolled her eyes. "Derrick Parrot? I mean who gives their kid a name that rhymes? That's horrible! And his playing is even _worse_! You'd make a great center!"

Niles looked at the women in confusion. "Center of _what_?"

Brenda and Donna burst out laughing. "And he's hilarious too! Daphne is so lucky to have you! But tell me, how in the world did you make that shot? It was incredible!"

A woman clearly older than Brenda and Donna approached him and shook his hand.

"Niles Crane, how nice to meet you! Daphne's told me so much about you, but she didn't mention how handsome you were."

Niles grinned. "Oh, well I'm sure she wanted to keep that secret to herself." He said, causing the women to laugh even louder.

"Look at him; he's blushing like a teenager!" Gloria said. "Boy, I'm so jealous that I missed your big moment! I mean, I've seen the clips on the news but I bet it was much more exciting in real-time! I would give anything to see that!"

"_Anything_ you say?"

"Well yes, but it was just a figure of-."

"Would you be willing to give me _five minutes_?" Niles asked.

"Sure, Dr. Crane, but-."

"I'll be right back!" Niles yelled, rushing out of the building.


	4. Chapter 4

Daphne paced the room; her nerves growing stronger by the minute. What in the bloody hell was taking so long? Norene's mom had picked her up over an hour ago and now it was well past the time that Niles said he would arrive.

Oh God... What if something happened?

No... She refused to think the worst.

She glanced out of the window, hoping to see his Mercedes in the parking lot. Instead all she saw was that ridiculous pickup truck.

Annoyance crept in as she pressed the intercom button;

"Brenda, has Niles arrived yet? He's supposed to be here by now."

But her question was met with silence.

She tried again. "Brenda? Donna? Are you there?"

No response.

A cold chill went through her veins and she tried to shake the terrible feeling that something was wrong.

But then the visions began...

_A car crash involving a Mercedes, Niles falling down the stairs at the Montana..._

She swallowed hard, determined not to cry.

_There's nothing to worry about_. She told herself over and over again.

Everything would be fine.

But at that moment, she needed Niles more than ever; if only to be certain that he was okay.

Within seconds she ran out the door and made her way downstairs, where she heard a surge of voices beckoning her to walk faster.

When she reached the lobby stopped short; amazed when she noticed the crowd of women gathered in front of the television...watching basketball.

On the screen, she could barely make out a figure, attempting to shoot a basket. The ball left his hands, spiraling through the air and landed in the basket, causing an eruption of applause and cheers through the lobby.

"Brenda!"

Relived that she'd finally spotted her friend, she rushed toward her in a desperate panic.

"Brenda, have you heard from-."

She froze; staring in disbelief at who she was seeing; or if in fact she'd imagined seeing him.

She shook her head, trying to clear the image from her mind. Surely she'd been missing Niles so that she'd conjured up a psychic vision of him. But in this vision he was wearing a Sonics jersey, and a leather Sonics jacket.

Slowly she began to move closer; her eyes widening as the person slowly came into focus.

When she recognized him, her hand flew to her mouth.

"Niles?"

He rose, smiling when he saw her.

It was impossible; Niles Crane wearing clothes advertising a sports team? But there was no mistaking that standing in the center of the lobby was the man that she loved.

At that moment, she was filled with such love for him that she didn't care what he was wearing.

"Niles?" She said again.

"Hey, Daph!" He said with a wave.

Her heart fell.

_Daph_? Where in the heck had that come from? Whatever happened to "Hello my love." Or even "Hello Daphne, my angel."?

Those were the words that always made her melt with desire for him.

Instead he'd spoken to her as though she were one of Mr. Crane's buddies from McGinty's!

But in her heart she forgave him. Right now the only thing that mattered was that she loved him, and he was coming to take her home.


	5. Chapter 5

She moved closer to him and touched his shoulder. "I'm all packed and ready to go. I just want to say goodbye to a few-."

To her surprise, he waved her off. "Can't we stay here for a while?"  
>"What's so important about staying here?" she demanded.<p>

But his gaze, along with most of the other women in the room, was transfixed on the television screen.

"So how'd you do it, Dr. Crane?" Brenda was asking; staring intently into Niles' eyes.

Daphne felt a surge of crazy jealousy run through her veins.

"Well I just concentrated as hard as I could and focused all my attention on getting that ball into the basket. Like I told the boys at McGinty's, if you're focusing on the reward, that's energy you're not using to make the shot."

"Wow... you're a hero, Dr. Crane." Brenda sighed.

Niles held up his hand. "Please, no formalities. Just call me _Niles_."

"Niles, can we go? I'm really anxious to see your brother and call Roz. I'm sure they've missed-."

"In a minute, okay?" Niles said waving her off.

She glanced at the television screen, gasping in surprise when she realized who she was seeing.

"Is-is that you?"

Niles beamed with pride. "It certainly is!"

"B-but what were you doing at a basketball game? You told me you were going to the Northwest Chamber Ensemble with Frasier!"

"Well, I thought so too, but it seems that Frasier and Dad deceived me into going to the game."

Daphne shook her head in disbelief. "But you loathe sports, especially the ones your father likes!"

"How did you get down on the court?"

"It was complete fate! I switched seats with Frasier and then with Dad. All of a sudden, they called my seat number over the PA system and I was summoned down to the playing surface, put on a Sonics jersey and attempt to make a touchdown!"

"_Basket_, Dr. Crane!" Donna corrected when the group of women tried unsuccessfully to hide their laughter.

"And the _playing surface_ is called a _court_!" Brenda added, not even bothering to disguise her amusement.

"Niles..."

"Daphne, you have to see this, okay? I was brilliant!"

Dutifully but reluctantly Daphne returned her attention to the screen where Niles stood in center court holding a basketball; his eyes focused on the basket above. The ball left his hands, and in slow motion it sailed through the air, landing in the basket.

Once again the lobby erupted in cheers and applause.

"How did you do that?" Daphne asked without thinking.

"Like I said if you focus on the reward-."

"I didn't mean _that_!" Daphne snapped. "I meant _why_ did you agree to do that? The only court you're familiar with is a squash court!"

"Until now, Daphne." Niles said proudly. "And I didn't agree to it, per say. Actually I had no choice. The entire stadium was counting on me! And you won't believe what I received in return!"

Niles, what's going on?"

"Come on, I'll show you." He said.

Daphne sighed and held out her hand, expecting him to take it. Instead he opened the lobby door and headed out to the parking lot, followed by almost every patron of the spa.

And to her horror, they stopped directly in front of the huge pickup truck.


	6. Chapter 6

"What's this?" she asked, trying to be heard over the excited screams of the women who were loudly admiring the truck.

"This..." Niles grinned as he ran his hand over the slick door of the truck. "Is mine."

Stunned, Daphne turned to him. "What?"

"Yes, isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?"

"I thought _I_ was the most beautiful thing you've ever seen." Daphne said quietly.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"  
>Daphne sighed, wondering why she was surprised that he hadn't heard her.<p>

"Um... Niles... do you notice anything different about me?"

Self-consciously she glanced down at her small frame, now sixty pounds lighter and smoothed the imaginary wrinkles from the dress she'd bought especially for her homecoming... and for Niles.

Everyone told her that she looked gorgeous in the pale yellow dress accented with tiny blue flowers. Niles would surely call her a goddess; something that she could never aspire to in a thousand years.

A lump formed in her throat as she slowly began to realize what was happening. He hadn't noticed her at all.

"Niles..."

Before he could respond, he was interrupted by Joyce who insisted on checking out the passenger seat. When others followed, Niles smiled proudly at the sudden attention, and he happily showed off his newest acquisition.

"Niles, what about _me_?" Daphne asked her voice breaking.

When he didn't answer, the hot tears that were dangerously close to the surface unleashed and she ran into the building, sobbing.

Her pillow was wet with tears when the knock on the door came.

"Go away." She said, grasping tightly to the adorable teddy bear that Niles had brought her on his last visit.

"Daphne, it's Donna. Can I come in?"

With a sigh, Daphne crawled off of the bed and glanced into the mirror, cringing at her tear-streaked face and ruined makeup.

The knocking came again and Daphne reluctantly opened the door.

"Daphne, Niles is downstairs waiting for you."

"Well he and his bloody truck can just leave!" Daphne yelled.

"Daphne-."

"Tell him that I'm going to stay a little longer." She said more calmly.

"B-but you can't!" Brenda said. "You're only paid up through today."

"I'll make up the difference meself." Daphne said. "I have some money saved up."

It wasn't a lie; she did have money saved, but it was for Niles. A special opera was coming to Seattle at the end of the year and getting him tickets that he deemed as impossible to get was the perfect gift.

But now it didn't matter anyway.

"Daphne, this spa is very exclusive and there's no way you'd be able to afford-."

Stung by the reminder of her finances, Daphne angrily brushed away fresh tears that fell down her cheeks.

"Tell Niles to leave."

"But Daphne-."

"Just do it, Brenda! And tell him he's no longer welcome here."

Brenda sighed and closed the door, just as Daphne dissolved into tears once more.


	7. Chapter 7

Anxiously, Brenda returned to the lobby where Niles was engrossed in conversation with Sarah, telling her about his technique for scoring baskets at the Sonics game-or rather, touchdowns as he referred to them.

The thought would have made her laugh had she not been so shaken by Daphne's outburst.

"Dr. Crane? I-I mean Niles?"

He looked up and smiled, squeezing his hands together in anticipation.

"So, is she ready? I can't wait to see her reaction to how the truck handles itself on the road!"

Brenda sighed. "She's not coming, Dr. Crane."

Niles froze. "Wh-what?"

When she didn't answer him right away, he laughed. "You're kidding right? Of course she's coming! How else would she get home?"

"I'm afraid not." Brenda said quietly.

Seeing the seriousness on her face, Niles frowned. "B-but that's impossible!"

"She wants you to leave, and she says you're not to come back."

Niles stared at her in disbelief. "That's ridiculous. Daphne would never say a thing like-."

"Goodbye, Dr. Crane."

"B-But you know me! How could you just-."

She swallowed hard. "I mean it. I need you to leave now or I'll have to call security."

A crestfallen expression crossed his face as he nodded a silent goodbye to the women who were still sitting in the lobby.

Then wordlessly, he grabbed his Sonics tape and walked out the door...

Alone.


	8. Chapter 8

Niles drove down Interstate 90 in silence, ignoring the beautiful snow-covered mountains that he passed along the way.

How had things gone so wrong?

All he'd wanted was to show Daphne what he'd accomplished. Making that touchdown at the Sonics game was truly the most amazing thing he'd ever experienced.

He just knew that Daphne would be proud of him.

But he never expected her to be so unreasonable about the whole thing!

Well, obviously she just didn't understand what fame was.

And he didn't either, until that fateful moment when the ball went into the round basket for the perfect touchdown.

Oh, the cheering that followed!

Now he knew how the Sonics felt, holding their World Series trophy! Of course that was a very long time ago, when the Sonics had actually _won_ a World Series.

At least that's what his dad had told him.

Come to think of it, Frasier mentioned it a few times as well. That must have been Bulldog's influence. If there's one thing the Crane boys knew nothing about, it was sports.

But there was one big difference. Niles knew what it felt like to score a touchdown in a basketball game.

There was one thing he didn't understand. Why was Daphne so angry with him? She didn't seem so emotional on his last visit.

In fact, she seemed happy; talking endlessly about her new friends and about how she was learning to like herself again.

To which Niles had kissed her and told her that he'd always love her, no matter what.

As he turned onto the exit that would take him to Interstate 5, panic set in.

Dear God, he'd driven all this way to pickup Daphne and take her home to Frasier's. If he arrived at the Elliot Bay Towers alone, what would Frasier think?

How would he even explain this to his father and brother...

when he really didn't understand it himself?


	9. Chapter 9

"Shhh... Shut up! They'll be here any minute!" Martin said.

"All right, does everyone know the plan?" Frasier asked. "As soon as we hear the doorbell, we assume our places and when I give the signal-."

"Yeah, yeah Frasier, we know! We all jump out and yell 'Welcome Home'! We've been over this a hundred times already!" Roz said.

Frasier sighed. "I just want everything to be perfect for when Daphne comes home. She's been through so much lately."

Noticing the sad expression on his face, Roz put her hand on his shoulder.

"Frasier, you helped her so much by sending her to that spa. She called me a couple of times and told me how grateful she is."

Frasier smiled and took her hand. "Thank you, Roz."

"Okay, enough of this mushy stuff." Martin said.

Seconds later they heard the doorbell ring and they scrambled to their positions.

"Is everyone ready?" Frasier asked, rising to answer the door.

"Niles how nice to see you both!" He said, turning to grin at Martin and Roz who were hiding in the living room.

"Well actually, Frasier there's something I need to talk to you about. You see, Daphne-."

"SURPRISE!" everyone yelled, emerging from their hiding places. Even Eddie had gotten into the act by barking loudly.

Shaken by the outburst, Niles clutched his chest and slowly walked into Frasier's apartment.

"Well, where is she?" Martin asked.

"I thought you were bringing Daphne home!" Roz said.

Niles swallowed hard. "Well, I was... but you see..."

"What's going on?" Martin asked. "Aw geez, we went to all this trouble and-."

"Frasier can I talk to you in the kitchen?" Niles asked.

"Of course, Niles but what about-."

"It's a matter of great importance." Niles said.

Exasperated, Frasier frowned. "Well, all right. But I still don't-."  
>Just then the phone rang.<p>

"I'll get it!"

"Thanks, Roz." Frasier said, ushering Niles into the kitchen.

When they were alone, Frasier glared at his little brother. "All right Niles! What in the hell is so important? And where is Daphne?"

Niles looked sadly at his brother. "Well, I went to pick her up at the spa, and-."

"Frasier!"

"Excuse me, Niles."

Frasier walked into the living room where Roz held out the phone to him.

"Yes, Roz?"

"Daphne wants to talk to you."

Frasier and Martin exchanged a look before glancing at Niles.

When Frasier took the phone from Roz, Niles quietly excused himself and hurried out of the apartment.

"Hey, Daphne." Frasier said, trying to maintain a cheerful tone.

"_H-hello Dr. Crane." _

"We thought you'd be coming home with Niles. What's happened?"

_"Well, I-."_

Suddenly he heard sobbing.

"Daphne?"

"_I-I'm sorry, Dr. Crane. I just-." _

"Is something wrong?"

The sobbing continued.

"Oh, Daphne... Dear God..."

"_Could you come and pick me up, Dr. Crane? Please?"_

"Why didn't you come home with Niles?"

When Daphne cried even harder, Frasier's heart went out to her.

Something was definitely wrong.

"All right, Daphne, just try to relax. I'll leave right now and be there as fast as

I can."

"Thank you, Dr. Crane."

Frasier sighed and hung up the phone.

"What's going on?" Martin asked.

Roz looked uneasily at Frasier. "She's okay, isn't she?"

Frasier paced the living room. "Well, I'm not sure. She wants me to come pick her up and she was crying pretty badly."

"_Crying_?" Martin asked in disbelief.

"I asked her why she didn't come home with Niles and that seemed to upset her even more." Frasier said. "Where is Niles anyway?"

"He was just here two minutes ago." Martin said. "HEY NILES!"

But there was no answer.

"Well I don't have time to look for him. I'd better leave now if I want to get to Cascade Falls as soon as possible." Frasier said.

Roz grabbed her purse. "I'm coming with you."

"No Roz, just go home. I'm sure everything will be fine." Frasier said, not really believing his own words.

"But Frasier-."

"I should go alone. She sounded pretty upset."

Roz scoffed when she reached the door. "All right, but you'd better have her call me and tell me what's going on. Or better yet, tell me yourself."

"Of course I will, Roz. Don't worry about a thing." Frasier said as he gently pushed her out the door.

She whirled around to face him and pointed at him. "I mean it, Frasier!"

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry Roz. I'm sure everything will be fine."

But when he went to grab his car keys, he couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.


	10. Chapter 10

"Can't you drive any faster? Geez, people in the slow lane are driving faster than us!"  
>Frasier rolled his eyes. "Dad, if I had known that you planned on criticizing my driving all the way here I would have never agreed to let you come along."<p>

"Like hell I wouldn't come! You expect me to sit at home, cleaning up after that fiasco of a party and worry about Daphne?"

Defeated, Frasier sighed. "You're right, Dad and I'm sorry. I guess I'm more worried about her than I thought."

Martin put his hand on his son's arm. "I'm sorry too."

"I just don't understand what could have happened. When she called she was so happy that Niles was coming to get her."

At this, Martin frowned.

"Something wrong, Dad?"

"Fras, you don't think he mentioned the Sonics game do you? I mean he's been pretty big-headed over this whole thing."

"Good Lord, Dad. Of course not! When it comes to sports, Niles has short-term memory!"

"Let's hope so." Martin said.

They drove the rest of the way in silence; each of them deep in thought. It wasn't until they arrived at Cascade Falls that Frasier spoke again.

"All right, Dad. Here we are."

Martin's eyes widened. "Wow! You weren't kidding, this place is amazing! Looks like a four star lodge!"

"That's exactly why I chose it." Frasier said, grateful for the unintentional compliment. "I wanted Daphne to feel as comfortable as possible."

They got out of the car and walked to the gorgeous log building that looked remarkably like the famous lodges in Alaska and Canada.

"I'll just go to the front desk and sign her out and then we'll be on our way."

Frasier said. "Now listen, Dad don't force her to tell us what's wrong. Just be patient and I'm sure she'll explain when she's ready."

"Well thanks for that advice, Sigmund Freud!" Martin said.

Frasier looked at his father in surprise. "Thank you, Dad. That's an enormous compliment!"

"Yeah? Well I sure didn't mean it that way!" Martin snapped.

Ignoring his father, Frasier walked into the lobby and smiled at the receptionist; Martin following close behind.

"Hello, I'm here to pick up-."

The woman's eyes widened. "You're Dr. Frasier Crane!"

Frasier smiled proudly. "Yes, I am! Thanks for listening. It's always nice to meet a fan!"

"Your brother is the basketball star! Niles Crane!"

"Oh Geez..." Martin groaned.

Frasier's eyebrows rose. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, we were watching it on the TV earlier to-."

The woman stopped short when she saw Frasier's un-amused glare.

"Listen, I'll have you know that Niles Crane knows about as much about basketball as you know about... well... psychiatry! And as for his being a _star_..."

"Well I _am_ a psychology major." The woman said.

"And as much as I admire that, I hardly think that qualifies as-."

"Fras-." Martin interrupted. "Just get Daphne so we can go, okay?"

"That's Daphne-."

"_Moon_, I know." The woman said. "She's been waiting for you, Dr. Crane."

"Is she okay?" Frasier asked. "She seemed so upset over the phone."

The woman only smiled. "I'll let her know that you're here."

Frasier and Martin looked around the lobby which was filled with women who were engrossed in all sorts of activities.

"Well, this certainly seems nice." Frasier said, admiring the plush chairs and leather sofas.

"Fras?"

Frasier whirled around to face his father, surprised when he saw Martin's worried expression.

"What's wrong?"

"You think she's okay, don't you?"

Frasier sighed, knowing he couldn't hide the truth from his father.

"I certainly hope so, Dad."


	11. Chapter 11

Daphne's heart raced as she made sure that she had everything packed. She had to admit that she was going to miss it here. She'd made such good friends and the counseling sessions with Gloria had done wonders for her self esteem.

Until Niles arrived, that is.

At the thought of him, she swallowed hard, determined not to cry.

A knock on the door startled her.

"Come in."

She looked up to see Brenda standing in the doorway.

"Daphne, Dr. Crane's downstairs."

"Which one?" Daphne asked cautiously.

"The one from the radio." Brenda said.

Daphne smiled with relief. "Tell him I'll be right down."

Brenda smiled and hugged Daphne.

"Everything will be okay, I promise." Brenda said as she closed the door.

When she was alone once more, Daphne silently rehearsed what she would say to Frasier.

I wanted more time to say goodbye to me friends... I had an extra session with me counselor, Gloria...

But she knew that Frasier would see right through her excuses.

After she said her final goodbyes to her friends and took one last look around her room, she picked up her bags and headed downstairs.

_Just relax, Daphne... everything will be fine._

She took a deep breath and walked into the lobby; her heart swelling with love when she saw Frasier and Martin smiling at her.

When Frasier held out his arms and moved toward her, she put down her bags and ran toward him; throwing herself into his embrace...

And seconds later, she burst into tears.


	12. Chapter 12

Frasier held Daphne tightly, stroking her hair. "Oh Daphne, it's all right. We're going home now."

"I-I'm sorry." She said, pulling out of his arms.

Frasier looked her up and down. "My God..."

She blinked in surprise. "What? What's wrong? It's me dress, isn't it? Oh I knew that this was the wrong color for me but all the girls insisted that I try it on, and-."

"You look fine, Daphne." Martin said.

"Actually... you don't look fine." Frasier said.

Daphne gasped in shock. "Wh-what?"

"Frasier!" Martin yelled. "That's a hell of a thing to say!

"Dad, please! I wasn't finished!" Frasier said.

Filled with relief, Daphne put her hand on her chest. "Well, thank goodness for that because I thought...What were you going to say?"

Frasier smiled and took her hand. "You look incredible, Daphne."

"You sure do!" Martin agreed.

For the first time in hours, Daphne actually smiled.

"Thank you so much." She said, hugging both Frasier and Martin.

"You've never looked lovelier." Frasier said.

"It was a lot of hard work, but I certainly don't deserve such praise." Daphne said.

"And it certainly paid off." Frasier finished.

"It sure did." Martin said. "And I bet Niles-."

At the sound of his name, Daphne burst into tears, as Frasier rushed to console her.

"What in the hell is going on?" Martin asked.

"You know Dad? Perhaps it's best if we go. We can sort this all out at home.

Daphne looks tired and I'm sure she's anxious to be back in her own room."  
>Martin sighed. "You're probably right."<p>

"While I'm taking care of the paperwork, why don't you help Daphne put her things in the car?"

"Sure Fras. Got everything, Daphne?"

Wordlessly she nodded.

"All right, come on."

Martin and Daphne walked out to the car and packed her belongings into Frasier's BMW.

"I bet you'll be glad to be home." Martin said after an awkward silence. "You can... sleep in your own bed. And I know that Niles missed you like hell. He couldn't stop talking about-."

When she burst into tears once more, Martin groaned. "Oh geez, not this again."

"I'm so sorry." She said tearfully.

At a loss for words, he hugged her tightly. "Look, I'm no shrink but I know that it doesn't make sense to apologize when you've done nothing wrong. It's stupid!"

But Daphne continued to cry as Martin looked worriedly at the front of the spa.

"I sure hope Fras gets back soon. I'm anxious to get home myself."

To his relief, Frasier emerged from the door and made his way to the car.

"Thank God!" Martin said. "What in the hell took you so long?"

"Now Dad, calm down! It took a little time to ensure that all the paperwork was in order!"

"But we've been here all day! How could it take so long! We're here to pick up Daphne, not to buy some damn sports car!"

"Oh, Mr. Crane!" Daphne laughed, surprising both men.

"Well I'm sorry, Dad!" Frasier snapped as he unlocked the car door. "I know you'll be crushed if you miss even one minute of the Sonics game! God forbid that they actually win a game!"

He turned, horrified to find that Daphne had started to cry once more.

"Dear God, Daphne." He said taking her in his arms. "I can't stand to see you like this. Let's get you home."

They climbed into the car, Daphne settling into the plush back seat.

"Dad, would you mind driving? I'm going to sit back here with Daphne."

"What am I? A chauffer?" Martin asked.

Frasier shook his head in disbelief. "Dad, please! Look, you can even... change the station on the radio so that you don't miss a minute of the game. Change it to KJR 950. They should have the Sonics game on."

"Thanks Fras!" Martin said tuning the radio station until the famous voice of the Sonics announcer came on the air.

"_And there's the tip off...Seattle has the ball and... number 36 scores! Barely a minute into the game and it's already Sonics 2, Trailblazers 0. This is sure to be an interesting-."  
><em>

"I don't want to hear about the bloody Sonics!" Daphne cried.

"What's wrong with the Sonics?" Martin asked.

"Dad, just... turn the game down, okay?" Frasier said.

Reluctantly Martin did as he was asked, and as soon as he started the car, Frasier put his arm around Daphne in an attempt to calm her.

"Come on!" Martin was yelling as he pulled the car out of the parking lot. "Just shoot the ball into the basket why don't you?"

"Oh Niles..."

Daphne sobbed again, leaning against Frasier's chest as she soaked his suit with tears.

"Dear God... My suit!" Frasier said.

Immediately Daphne sat up and dabbed her eyes with the handkerchief he gave her.

"Oh, Daphne I don't know what's happened but it certainly has you upset." Frasier said.

"Well talk about it when we get home! I'm trying to listen to the game here!" Martin yelled.

"Don't worry, Daphne." Frasier said as he patted her arm. "We'll be home soon."


	13. Chapter 13

As they turned onto Queen Anne Avenue, Martin glanced at Daphne in the rear view mirror.

"She's out like a light, isn't she?"

She certainly is." Frasier said.

"I thought a spa was supposed to relax you; make you feel refreshed. But geez, the way Daphne was carrying on earlier, she's worse than before. Looks a hell of a lot better, though. But Fras, I'm worried. I've never seen her like this before. Something's wrong."

Frasier looked at Daphne who had long since fallen asleep on his shoulder.

"It is rather disturbing."

"Disturbing? It's damn scary and I don't like it!" Martin yelled.

"Shhh! Dad, you'll wake her up!" Frasier yelled back.

Groggily Daphne lifted her head and opened her eyes.

"Too late for not waking her up." Martin said.

"Where are we?" Daphne asked.

"We're almost home." Frasier said.

Minutes later they pulled into the Elliot Bay Towers parking garage.

"Dad, I'll make sure that Daphne gets into the condo safely. Can you bring her luggage?"

"Oh sure, make me the slave why don't you?" Martin asked.

"For God's sake, Dad! Don't worry; I'll make sure that Eddie hasn't been kidnapped!"

Frasier and Daphne walked into the building and headed for the elevator. After pressing the call button, Daphne turned to her boss.

"I can't thank you enough for coming to pick me up, Dr. Crane."

"It was my pleasure, Daphne. But Dad and I are worried about you."

"I'm fine, Dr. Crane. I'm just a bit tired."

"You look more than just tired, Daphne." Frasier said when the elevator doors opened.

"I'll be all right." She said.

But Frasier had his doubts.

"Here we are. Home at last." Frasier said as he unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Daphne walked into the apartment, gasping at the sight.

"What's all this?"

Frasier smiled. "Well, it was supposed to be a surprise party for your homecoming. But when you didn't come home, we-."  
>New tears filled her eyes as she looked around at the huge banner that bared her name, along with the words <em>Welcome Home.<em>

"You did all of this for me?" She asked tearfully.

Martin appeared at the door, carrying Daphne's luggage. "I'll just put this in your room."

Upon hearing his master's voice, Eddie barked excitedly.

"Hey, Boy!" Martin said, stopping to scratch the dog's head.

Still in shock over the party decorations, Daphne hugged Martin. "Thank you so much, Mr. Crane. I can't tell you what this means to me! I just... love you both so much."

Awkwardly, Martin rubbed her back. "Well, we love you too."

"That goes for me as well." Frasier said, hugging her warmly.

Daphne brushed a tear from her cheek and sniffled. "Thank you, Dr. Crane."

"Well, why don't you get yourself settled in?" Frasier said.

"I can hardly wait to sleep in me own bed." Daphne replied, making her way to the bedroom.

"I'll just let you get unpacked and then-."

"Oh right, I'll get lunch on the table straight away, Dr. Crane."

"No, Daphne."

She looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean? That's my job and-."

"Now Daphne, I just want you to relax and enjoy being at home." Frasier said.

"But what about-."

"I'll take care of everything." Frasier said.

Daphne smiled and hugged him. "Thank you, Dr. Crane. You're much too kind."


	14. Chapter 14

**(A while later...)**

Daphne walked into the living room to find Frasier engrossed in a book and Martin watching sports on television.

"Hi Daph." Martin said. "You look nice! New clothes?"

Daphne blushed and looked at her jeans and denim vest layered over a white t-shirt.

"Thank you, Mr. Crane. I had to buy a whole new wardrobe. I didn't feel right spending so much money, but I lost so much weight that me old clothes didn't fit quite right."

"That's great Daph! Whoa, look at this! He shoots He scores!" Martin yelled.

"Still watchin' your sports I see." Daphne said.  
>Frasier chuckled. "You know Dad. He can't live without his beloved Sonics."<p>

"I've never understood what men find fascinatin' about a bunch of overpaid men, trying to put a ball into a basket. I mean the idea of them being paid over a million-."

"Hey! Look at this!" Martin exclaimed. "Niles is on TV again!"

Daphne glanced at the television as the image of Niles attempting to make a basket filled the screen.

Immediately memories of the horrible moment that Niles arrived at the spa filled her mind.

"Turn it off." She ordered.

Martin looked at her in amazement. "What? Are you crazy? This is great! You should have seen him, Daphne. He stood out there and stared at the basket. It went sailing through the air and-."

Her mouth quivered and she blinked, unsuccessfully trying to hold back tears.

"Turn it off!" She yelled.

"But Daph, don't you want to see-."

"Are you deaf, old man? I said turn the bloody thing off!"

Stunned by her outburst, Frasier and Martin exchanged glances and stared at her in amazement as she grabbed the remote and turned off the television set.

"But what about my game?" Martin yelled.

"Dad, forget about the game!" Frasier said.

"Forget about it? It was just getting' started! Who in the hell does she think she is coming over and turning it off?"

"Watch your bloody game then! See if I care!" Daphne yelled angrily. She picked up the remote and threw it at Martin. The remote hit Martin's chair, startling him, and Eddie, who ran across the room.

As though realizing what she'd done, Daphne covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh God, I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me!"

Concerned, Frasier rose from the sofa and went to her.

"Daphne-."

"I-I'm so sorry!" She said again as her voice broke. "I'll just be in me room."  
>Seconds later, they heard her bedroom door slam.<p>

In the awkward silence that followed, Martin and Fasier looked at each other.

"I'm sorry Fras. It's my fault. I'll go talk to her." Martin said.

"It's all right, Dad. Just watch your game. I'll go."

As Frasier crossed the room to go to Daphne, Martin looked at him worriedly. "What do you think is wrong?"

When Frasier said nothing, Martin knew...

"It's Niles isn't it? He's had a big head ever since he made that basket at the game. You don't think-."

"I'm afraid that's exactly what happened, Dad. I just hope it's not too late to make amends."


	15. Chapter 15

Frasier knocked lightly on the door.

"Daphne? May I come in?"

When he got no response, he turned to leave. Best to give Daphne the space she needed.

"Dr. Crane?"

At the sound of her voice he turned around, pained when he saw her consuming a box of chocolate bon bons.

"Oh Daphne, you don't want to be eating right now. You'll ruin all of your hard work. You're slim and-"

"What difference does it make? I have no one to look nice for anyway." She said; her voice quivering.

He went to her and sat down on the bed next to her.

"I-I'm sorry I was so cross with you and Mr. Crane. I don't know what came over me." She said tearfully.

"This is about Niles isn't it?"

When Daphne began to sob into her hands, Frasier took her in his arms and rubbed her back.

"It's all right." He said soothingly.

After a few minutes she sat up and brushed the tears from her cheeks.

"What happened?"

Daphne sighed deeply. "Well, he came to pick me up, and I wanted to show him how hard I worked on losing weight but when he got there... he... he..."

"Just take your time." He said as she started to cry again.

"Oh Dr. Crane, he was showin some video of him making a basket, wearin' a Sonics jersey! What was he doin' at a Sonics game anyway, let alone on the court?"

"I'm afraid that was my fault." Frasier said.

Daphne looked at him in amazement. "_Your_ fault?"

"Well, someone at the station gave me tickets to the game. I was going to give them to Dad but he assumed that I wanted to go with him. Niles and I had plans to go to the opera, but we went to the game with Dad instead."

"But Niles hates basketball!" Daphne cried, blotting her eyes with a tissue.

"And I can't blame him, but after we played a ridiculous game of musical seats, Niles ended up in the unfortunate position of having his seat number called. He had to go down to center court and try his hand at making a basket. I still can't believe the thing went in. It left his hands and sailed through the air and-."

"I don't want to hear any more about that bloody basketball game!" Daphne yelled.

"I'm so sorry, Daphne. I'm afraid that Niles was so surprised by all the attention that he let his newfound fame go to his head."

"I-I just wanted him to be proud of me." Daphne said tearfully. "B-but he didn't notice me at all! I worked so hard-."

Frasier hugged her again.

"Oh Daphne, I'm so sorry! You look so beautiful and I'm so proud of how hard you worked. I know that Niles-."

The door opened and they looked up to see Martin standing in the doorway.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Daphne... Niles is here."

"I don't want to see him!" Daphne said.

Frasier rose from the bed. "I'll go talk to him. Dad would you stay with her?"

Martin walked into the room. "Sure Fras. Hey Daph, how are you doin'?"

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Crane." She said, rising from the bed to hug him.

"Oh geez, you don't have to apologize." Martin said as he rubbed her back.

"Well, I'm gonna go straighten out my youngest son. Are you gonna be all right?"

Tearfully Daphne shook her head.

"Thank you Mr. Crane but I don't think so."

Martin hugged her again. "Things will be okay. I'll make sure of it."


	16. Chapter 16

Angrily, Frasier walked into the living room. "Niles, I need a word with you. Now!"

"Amazingly I need a word with you as well. Frasier, I have the most exciting news! I got us a reservation at that exclusive restaurant that just opened on Second Avenue, so we'd better hurry if-."

"Oh to hell with your reservation!" Frasier snapped.

At his brother's harsh tone, Niles blinked. "Frasier, what's gotten into you? Do you have any idea how much trouble I went to in order to get us a table?"

"Niles, you jackass! Have you completely forgotten about Daphne?" Frasier yelled.

At the sound of her name, his heart beat faster.

"Are you insane? I could never forget about my angel!"

"Humph! Could have fooled me!" Martin said.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Niles asked, clearly confused.

"I'll tell you what's going on. Daphne is in her room, crying her eyes out because of your... stupidity!"

"My..." Niles headed for Daphne's room, surprised when Frasier stopped him.

"Frasier, what are you doing?"

"Niles, we need to talk. Now!" Frasier said.

"Well, can't it wait? I want to see Daphne."

"Why? So you can tell her all about your impending introduction into the _Miracle Basket Shot Basketball Hall of Fame_?"

"Do you think they'd let me in?" Niles asked. "Daphne would be-."

"Oh for God's sake, Niles, of course there's not a-."

Frasier stopped and looked at his father.

"No boys, there's no _Miracle Basket Shot Basketball Hall of Fame." _Martin said, shaking his head in disbelief at his sons' lack of sports knowledge.

"Thank you for clarifying that, Dad. Dear God Niles what were you thinking, flaunting your so-called fame like that?"

"But Frasier I-."

"Daphne told me about how you went to pick her up at the spa."

"Yes, it was quite an adventure. Everyone there was so excited about my sudden fame, and I couldn't wait to show her my amazing skill!"

"What about your inflated ego? Did you want to show her that too?

Dear God Niles, your head is bigger than a basketball! Daphne said that you didn't even notice her when you arrived because you were too damned concerned with your fan club! She called here in tears begging me to pick her up!"

"When they sent me away, I tried to come back, but they wouldn't let me in and-."

"Can you blame them? Niles, really! What were you thinking?"

"I hoped she'd be proud of me!" Niles said.

"Well I have a news flash for you, Niles." Martin yelled. "She's not proud of you! She's hurt and humiliated and frankly she's ashamed of herself, when the person she really should be ashamed of is you!"

"Dad!" Frasier said, seeing Niles' hurt expression.

"Don't tell me you're happy about his behavior!" Martin said.

"Of course not Dad, but-."

"But nothin' Fras! Look, Niles. I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of your infatuation with Daphne, but when I saw the two of you falling in love, I changed my mind. Now Daphne's a good girl. She worked hard at that spa and all she wanted was for you to notice her!"

"Of course I noticed her, Dad."

"No, I mean really notice her. Instead you acted like a jackass and had to show off because you think you're some basketball star. Now if you want to throw away a relationship that took seven years to form, that's your problem, but I'll be damned if you're doing to hurt Daphne this way!"

Niles opened his mouth to speak, but Martin continued.

"Now you either get in there and apologize or go home! I'm tired of seeing Daphne hurting so badly! Come on, Eddie!"

Eddie scampered after Martin who crossed the living room headed for his bedroom.


	17. Chapter 17

Alone in the living room, Niles did his best to avoid his brother's gaze... but the task proved to be impossible.

Thankfully, Frasier broke the awkward silence that filled the space between them.

"Well, I should go and call Roz so that we can decide what time to meet at Café Nervosa. We have to go over the notes for our next show and-."

"Frasier?"

"Yes, Niles?"

Niles lowered his eyes and sadly shook his head.

"I-I'm... so sorry for my behavior. Dad was right. I was a jackass."

Frasier smiled, prompting Niles to do the same. "Well, I won't argue with you on that point."

"I was just... so amazed when I made that touchdown-."

"_Basket_." Frasier corrected.

Niles sighed. "Whatever. I guess I just let all the attention go to my head."

"I'd say that's an understatement." Frasier said.

"But why would I do that?" Niles asked, pacing the room. "I _hate_ sports! I was all ready to go to the opera with you when this wrench was thrown into our plans. I'm not complaining but when they called my name and I had to go down on the field-."

Frasier chuckled. "_Court_, Niles."

"Well it doesn't matter what it's called. I've disgraced myself for a few glorious moments of attention."

"Go on, Niles. You're on the right track."

"And I went to that spa all ready to pick up Daphne, taken by surprise when people actually recognized me for something I'd accomplished."

"Niles-."

"All I wanted was for Daphne to be proud of me, but instead I ruined everything."

"Don't you think you should be saying all of this to Daphne?" Frasier asked.

"Maybe I should just leave." Niles said. "She doesn't want to see me anyway."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Frasier said quietly.

"But what am I supposed to say? She'll never forgive me." Niles said.

"Just talk to her, Niles. I think you'll find that she's more forgiving than you think."

Niles smiled. "You're right. Thank you, Frasier."

Taking one last glance at his brother, Niles turned to go to Daphne's room.

He just hoped that his apology would be enough.


	18. Chapter 18

When he reached Daphne's room, Niles' heart beat faster as he stood at the door.

With trembling fingers he knocked lightly; dismayed (but not surprised) when there was no answer.

"Daphne?"

The dryness in his throat worsened with each moment. Slowly he opened the door; sighing when he peered inside and saw her sitting on the bed with her back to him.

He couldn't see her face, but when he heard the quiet sobs; his heart broke a little more.

He swallowed hard.

"Daphne, my angel? May I come in?"

He could hear her sniffling. "Go away, Niles."

The harsh words stung, but he knew they were more than deserved.

"Daphne, I'm so sorry. I-."

Her head whipped around to face him, and he gasped in surprise when he saw her tear-streaked face. But it was her expression that made his heart ache.

"Just tell me _why_, Niles." She said, startling him with her words.

He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. "I... I-."

"How could you do that to me?" She yelled as the tears streamed down her face. "For two long months, I worked harder than I'd ever worked in me life, just to make you proud. I couldn't wait until you came to get me and when you finally did... All you could think of was that bloody basketball game!"

Daringly he moved toward the bed and reached out to her, hurt even more when she pulled away.

"Daphne, I-."

"Oh_, bloody hell_ Niles, is that all you could think about? Some ridiculous basket you made at a game that you had absolutely no interest in? Aren't I more important to you than that?"

"Well of course, my angel but-."

"Don't call me that!" She snapped.

The words stopped him short. "What?"

"I'm not your angel or your goddess or whatever silly name you call Me!"

"Those aren't silly names!" He said, hurt by her accusations. I mean it. You're a goddess and an angel and I love you so much."

"No you don't."

The words cut through him like a knife.

"Daphne, how can you say that? I've loved you since the moment I first saw you!"

"Well you could have fooled me!" She yelled, causing him to wince at the harsh reminder of the same words that his father had said to him earlier.

"Sweetheart, please..."

"How could you do that to me, Niles? I worked so hard tryin' to make meself beautiful for you and-." Her voice broke, rendering her unable to continue.

"Oh my love, you'll always be beautiful to me! How can you even-."

"_Am_ I beautiful, Niles?"

The question dripped with sarcasm.

"Of course you're beautiful Daphne. Haven't I told you-."

"How would you know, Niles? You didn't even _look_ at me the _entire time_ you were at the spa! You just had a grand old time with your new basketball fans, and showing off your basketball playin and that hideous truck! What about me? Do you have _any_ idea how much you hurt me when you just ignored me like that?"

"I'm so sorry, Daphne." Niles said.

She swallowed hard and brushed a tear from her cheek.

"So am I, Niles."

As Niles watched Daphne storm out of the bedroom, the tears on her cheeks were blurred by the tears in his eyes.


	19. Chapter 19

With a heavy heart, Niles crossed the living room, painfully aware of the glances of his father and brother.

But there was no sign of his angel.

He blinked back tears as he walked to the bar and poured himself a drink. The glass shook beneath his fingertips and his throat was so tight that he could hardly swallow.

But somehow he consumed the drink in one gulp before pouring himself another...

And another...

And another...

And another...

"Might want to take it easy there, Son." Martin said cautiously.

Already feeling the effects of the alcohol, Niles laughed and walked toward Frasier and Martin, finding it hard to steady his balance.

"What's the point?" He asked, his voice beginning to slur. "Daphne h-hates me and I'm a disgrace to our family. Might as well add _alcoholic_ to the list."

"Niles, you're not an alcoholic." Frasier said quietly.

"And Daphne sure as hell doesn't hate you." Martin added. "If she did, she wouldn't have stormed through here so upset."

"But... she's g-gone." Niles said; the unsteady words tearing at his heart.

"Actually she's out on the balcony."

Niles looked at his father in surprise.

"Dad, why don't we go to Duke's?" Frasier asked. "I could really use a beer."

"That'd be great!" Martin exclaimed. "I think the Sonics are on and-."

He stopped abruptly when he met Niles' glance, as though realizing what he'd said.

"Come on Fras. Let's give them some privacy."

Niles smiled sadly. "Thank you, Dad."

When his father and brother were gone, Niles peered out of the window where Daphne stood on the balcony, staring out into the star-filled sky.

Without giving it another thought, he opened the door and stepped onto the balcony.

Daphne's back was to him and he could see her shivering in the cold night air.

Immediately he took off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders.

"Thank you." She said, not even bothering to turn around.

"You're welcome, my angel." He said quietly.

At the sound of his voice, she turned around, gasping as though she was surprised to see him.

"Oh... Niles."

He stared at her, swallowing hard as he tried to find the right words that he knew would never come.

"Daphne, I'm so ashamed. I-I was horrible and-."

"I thought you loved me." She said quietly. "I just wanted you to be proud of me."

The words were so soft; he had to strain to hear them.

"Oh my love, I'll always be proud of you."

When a tear slid down her cheek, he reached out and brushed it away with his thumb; his hand lingering on her soft skin.

To his amazement, she placed her hand on his and then kissed his palm.

"Do I look all right?"

The question was in the voice of a smile and he couldn't help but grin as he looked her up and down.

"You've never looked more beautiful, my angel. And I didn't think that was possible."

When she smiled, his heart warmed. "Really?" She asked in a quivering voice.

"Because I thought-."

"Oh, Daphne..."

Filled with love for her, he took her in his arms and kissed her deeply.

When the kiss ended, she stared into his eyes.

"Oh, Niles..." She breathed; his name trembling on her lips.

He held her closer than he ever thought possible. "I know I don't deserve it; I don't deserve you, but cold you find it in your warm, kind and loving heart to forgive me?"

She smiled and caressed his cheek and then kissed him again.

"Of course I forgive you... if you'll forgive me. I love you, Niles."

The words made his heart soar.

"I love you more than words can say, Daphne Moon."

As they stared up at the sky, he wrapped his arms around her from behind; sighing when she leaned into his chest.

"The moon is so beautiful." She whispered, gazing at the tilted half moon that hung in the sky. "I feel like I could reach out and let it fall right into me hand."

Niles held her closer and kissed her cheek. "I'll give you the moon, the stars and everything else you could possibly want, my angel."

She turned and moved her face toward his until they were kissing once more; her mouth warm on his.

As much as he wanted this moment to last forever, he had to explain his behavior at the spa.

Gently he took her hand and kissed it.

"Daphne?"

"Yes, Niles?"

"I-I need to tell you something."

"All right." She said turning to give him her full attention.

"When I came to get you at the spa, I never meant to hurt you. I let my ridiculous ego get the best of me and contrary to what you might think, I did notice you... How beautiful you looked."

"Thank you." She said, kissing his cheek.

"But Daphne, I-I just thought if you saw my accomplishment, you'd be so proud of me. I'd never made a touchdown before and-."

She silenced him with a kiss.

"Basket." She said with a grin.

Confused, he gazed into her eyes. "What?"

"You made a basket, not a touchdown. Niles, I'll always be proud of you, no matter what. You're kind, funny, smart, sweet and generous. And I can't believe that you're mine."

"I love you Daphne." Niles said as they kissed again.

In the moonlight, they held each other, until Daphne turned to him and smiled.

"Niles, what was it like?"

"What was what like?"

"When all those people were cheering for you on the court. You have quite a fan club, you know. They must really love you ad I bet that's a wonderful feeling, isn't it? When I was a girl in Manchester, I used to dream of being on the stage someday and-."

Niles brushed a lock of hair from her face.

"I won't lie to you, Daphne. It is a wonderful feeling. But it can't even begin to come close to how wonderful it is, knowing that you love me. For that is truly a dream come true."

When they kissed again, Daphne shivered.

"Do my passionate kisses send chills up and down your spine?" Niles teased, causing Daphne to laugh.

"Of course, my Darling, but I'm afraid it's rather cold out here."

Niles grinned. "Well, why don't we go somewhere and keep each other warm?"

"That's a good idea. I bet it's a lot warmer in your brother's apartment than it is out here." Daphne said.

"Actually I was thinking about my apartment." Niles said.

Daphne smiled. "I'd like that. Just let me pack a few things and leave a note for your brother."

"I don't think I can wait that long." Niles said as he took her in his arms and kissed her, causing Daphne to laugh at his impulsiveness.

After several more kisses, he reluctantly let go of her.

"I'll just be a moment." She said kissing him again.

He watched her with a smile, missing her almost instantly. But he knew that what lie ahead would surely be worth the wait.


	20. Chapter 20

_**(Later that night at The Montana)**_

"Are you warm enough?" Niles asked as Daphne snuggled against him, wrapped in a blanket on the fainting couch.

"Mmmm. This is wonderful." Daphne sighed.

He kissed her nose. "Do you have any idea how much I missed you when you were at the spa?"

"I missed you too. And my therapist said-."

Niles put his finger to her lips.

"Can we... talk about something else?"

Slightly hurt, Daphne sighed. "But Niles, don't you want to know what went on at the spa? After all you and your brother went to a lot of trouble to-."

"I don't want to talk about anything actually."

Daphne grinned and pulled him closer. "Oh... Well then what should we do, Dr. Crane?"

"Hmm... I'll be right back." He said, carefully rising from the fainting couch.

Quickly, he retreated into the kitchen, returning minutes later with a small platter of strawberries dusted with powdered sugar and a bottle of champagne with two champagne flutes.

"Sweets for my sweet." He said, popping a strawberry into her mouth.

"Thank you, Darling."

At her disappointed look, Niles frowned. "Is something wrong? I thought it would be romantic."

Daphne smiled and touched his cheek. "It's _very_ romantic, Niles. Except that I shouldn't' be havin' sugar right now, and this champagne is just full of calories."

Niles sighed. "You're absolutely right. What was I thinking? I'll be right back, my love."

He hurried back into the kitchen, returning to the living room only a few minutes later.

"Daphne my love perhaps this will be more to your liking." He said, setting a tray of fresh fruit on the coffee table.

When she didn't reply, he sat down next to her and stroked her hair until he realized that she was sleeping.

"You're an angel." He said, kissing her cheek. He covered them both with the blanket and returned his gaze to the television.

On the screen was a civilian standing on the playing surface of Key Arena at the Sonics game, trying his hand at making a touchdown.

Thrust in the spotlight; probably against his will, the poor guy looked terrified as he attempted to throw the ball and missed, wincing at the groans from the crowd.

"_Oh...Tough break!"_ The announcer was saying. _"But for your trouble, Mr. Ware we're giving you Season tickets as well as floor seats." _

From the look on Mr. Ware's face, he seemed happier with the floor seats than with the new car he'd lost.

Niles smiled remembering how his dad would drone on and on about wanting to sit on the floor with all the celebrities.

Although he couldn't figure out why floor seats were so special. Who wants to risk getting hit in the face with a _football_?

But perhaps he should go the extravagant route and buy season tickets for the whole family. He had to admit the seats had amazing views.

When Daphne sighed, he turned and kissed her cheek, covering her with the blanket once more.

As he leaned against her, he could feel his beating heart along with hers and he sighed, watching her sleep.

Floor seats at a baseball game might have wonderful views...

But the view was much better here.

**THE END  
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